As the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19 continues and we see ourselves in a 3rd national lockdown, the efforts to stop the spread have thrown the global economy into a storm. Businesses everywhere are facing a sudden and huge altering of market reality, with all but a few staying at home and practising social isolation, it has left many of us seeking connection, so we turned to our smartphones and social media.

Digital Marketing especially social media marketing is fast proving to be a game-changer in times of a pandemic. If your business or brand is not online, then you are doing something wrong. The real world has shut down momentarily hence why the virtual world has become one of the most significant ways of social engagement.

It is important to have the right tools and strategies in place in order to succeed on social media and stand out from the crowd. Is your business live on social media? Are you appealing to the right people? Social media marketing is not always easy. In fact, with so many different networks, it can be tricky to know where to begin. That is where we come in.

Why social media marketing?

As companies are currently working from home, traditional B2B and B2C marketing are suffering, this means that many need to adapt to the times. The digital space, meanwhile, is seeing an exceptional rise in users. Social Media can be used to raise brand awareness and to generate leads. Let’s look at the main reasons why you should take your marketing online:

Time on social media has increased.

People are spending more time on social media to be entertained and to feel a sense of connection. Recognising this and tapping into those motivations with your social content will add value to your customer’s online experience and make them more engaged in what it is your business or brand does or is selling.

The need for information

Whether it’s from the daily briefings, news subscriptions or our social media we’re all looking for the latest information re the COVID-19 pandemic and we want it instantly. The same requirement is needed for customers from businesses. Therefore, keeping an active social media presence that’s up to date with your latest COVID-19 measures is vital to giving customers the information they want, when they want it.

Ad engagement has increased

Many of your competitors may be thinking of cutting costs and folding down their operations. It can be tempting to do so in the face of such uncertainty. Yet, this very uncertainty makes the market more open to innovation and newer approaches. This gives competitors a bigger chance to gain engagement. Make the most of this boosted engagement by featuring a clear call to action on your sponsored posts and social ads. Also, leverage tools like Instagram’s shoppable tags to convert engagers.

Online shopping has increased

As we aren’t allowed to visit the high street stores more businesses have looked to going online, and with more customers adopting online shopping, this is important whether your businesses sell a service or a product that you are seen. An inspired scroller can see something they like in a sponsored post and be redirected to their e-commerce site in seconds. This gives social marketers an opportunity to drive higher conversions. Instagram’s shoppable features take this a step further and allow social users to make purchases without even leaving the app.

Here are a few points to consider for your business during this period.

  1. Remember your customer is bored. With most of us now having a lot of time to kill while we wait for the pandemic to be contained, your potential customers are in dire need of distractions. Contests, tutorials, pop quizzes and social media challenges are all great ways of customer engagement. When you contribute to lightening people’s moods during these troubled times, it creates a positive image for you.
  2. The use of relevant hashtags. Hashtags are the number 1 way to find and sort content over social media platforms. It is important that you are using the right hashtags with your content to make sure it reaches your target audience.
  3. Highlight safety standards. As mentioned previously, the need for information has increased. If your business is still operating during lockdown it is important to use your social media channels not only to inform your customer base about the health and safety precautions you take in manufacturing/sourcing your products, but also to disseminate usefully, and verified information about the ongoing crisis.
  4. Be informative. Use this time to inform your audience about the services/products you provide. This will help your business post-covid-19 as well.

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Should you have any questions about your Social media platforms or your current social media strategy then contact us on 020 3911 9715 or make an online enquiry here.